Assessing the Progress of Large City School Desegregation: A Case Survey Approach. Final Report.

Morgan, David R.; England, Robert E.

The methods and process of desegregation between 1968 and 1976 were analyzed for 52 large school districts in this case survey report. The first section presents the research design in which the case survey method and the selection of 52 districts are considered. The second section includes a detailed look at the various desegregation techniques employed and a preliminary assessment of their effectiveness. A multivariate analysis is presented in section three. An analysis of white flight is presented in section four, and section five discusses findings and implications of the study. The report drew the following conclusions about desegregation success: (1) Federal coercion reduced racial isolation; (2) larger districts achieved less racial balance than smaller districts; (3) southern districts had greater success than those outside the south; (4) countywide districts improved racial balance more than non-countywide districts; (5) support from school officials helped achieve desegregation; and (6) hiring new superintendents tended to improve prospects for desegregation success. Included in this report are five appendices: (1) the form for the case survey instrument; (2) a glossary of desegregation terms; (3) additional comments about survey reliability; (4) case profiles; and (5) selected school district characteristics. (Author/ML)